Electric bond and fish-plate.



C. J. SCHULZ.

ELECTRIC BOND AND FISH PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.6, 1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR 1 Carl J. Schulz BY w M A7TORNEYS c. 1.. SCHULZ. ELECTRIC BOND AND FISH PLATE.

APPLICATION man AUG-6,1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IAH/E/VTOR Carl J. Schu \2 LQo 4170mm WITNESSES Fl i ELECTRIC BOND AND FISH-PLATE.

Application filed August 6, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL J. SOHULZ, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county of the Bronx and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Electric Bond and Fish-Plate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. a I

This invention relates to electric bonds for uniting the adjacent ends of street railroads and other rails together.

The general objects of the present in vention are to improve and simplify the construction of rail bonding and connecting means so as to be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and apply to the rails, reliable and efficient in use, and

. so designed as to permit the rail sections to readily expand and contract without impairing in any manner the effectiveness of the electrical connection.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a bonding element which comprises a plurality of upright resilient bars integrally connected at their corresponding ends, the upper ends of the bars being fastened to the end of one rail sec tion and the lower ends being connected with the adjacent end of a juxtaposed rail section so that the bars will be flexed as the rail sections expand or contract.

lVith such objects in view, and others which will appear as the description pro cecds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a side view of a rail joint embodying the improved electric bond and fish plate; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fish plate sections before the bonding element is welded thereto; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bonding element; Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the combined fish plate and bond welded together; Fig. 6 is a sectional View showing the rail joint with only a single combined fish plate and bond; Fig. 7 is a side view of a rail embodying a modified Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 241, 1916.

Serial No. 43,963.

form of bonding and connecting means; Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the two bonding elements used in the form of joint shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 1010, Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, A and B designate the meeting ends of two rail sections which are shown of that type suitable for street railways, but the invention is not limited to this particular type of rails. Each rail consists of a base 1, a web 2 and a head 3. The end faces 4 of the rails are perpendicular and the gap between the opposed ends of the rail sections varies as the rails expand and contract under tempera ture changes. The mechanical connecting and electrical bonding means forming the subject matter of the present invention provides for this expansion and contraction of the rails. I

The rail sections A and B are mechanically and electrically united by fish plate sections a and b which are in the form of plates having overlapping inner ends 5 and 6 which have secured thereto a bonding ele ment C that is in the form of a guard consisting of vertical bars 7 solidly united at their corresponding ends by the horizontal portions 8 and 9. The fish plate sections a and 7) are fastened by rivets or bolts 10 to the rail sections A and B, respectively, the upper and lower edges 11 and 12 of the fish plate sections fitting the base 1 and head 2 of the rail sections. The overlapping ends 5 of the fish plate sections cross the gap 4 between the rail sections, and the upper end of the bonding element c-is fastened to the outer surface of the overlapping end of the fish plate section a, and the lower portion of the element 0 is connected with the outer surface'of the overlapping end 6 of the fish plate section b. The inner or rear face of the bonding element 0 has longitudinal ribs 13 which are preferably welded to the fish plate sections a and b, respectively, at the points just mentioned. When the three parts are united they form a unitary structure in which the fish plate sections are spaced apart by a diagonal gap 14 where the ends 5 and 6 overlap, and the bars 7 of the bonding element 0 are free from the fish plate sections, as indicated at 15, Fig. 5, so that as the rails expand and contract the bars 7 will bend, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The fish plate sections are in intimate contact with the rail sections, and as the bonding element is welded to the fish plate sections, a good, electrical connection is maintained at all times between the rail sections.

In the joint shown in Fig. 7 the rail sections A. and B have their ends halved so as to provide overlapping portions a and'b, and these overlapping portions are united by the bonding elements (Z and cl. elements are in the form of plates or grids having spaced vertical slots 16 which provide vertical resilient bars 17 which bend or flex as the rail sections expand and contract. The'bonding elements d and (Z? are fastened to the overlapping rail sections by bolts or equivalent means 18 which pass through openings '19 in the bonding elements and through openings 20 in the webs of the rail sections, such openings 20 being large enough to receive bosses 12 on the. in-

' ner surface of the bonding element d. The

bosses are large enough to cause a forced fit in the openings 20' as the bolts are tightened. In both forms of joints the tread surfaces of the rail sections are kept in absolute alinement, since the joined ends'of the rail sections rise and fall as a unit as the wheels pass over the joint. 7

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best "embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is v merely illustrative and that such changes 40 may be'made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patenti r 1. The combination of a pair of rails with an electrical bonding element connected with the rails andembodying a plurality of up- Q and a grid-like bonding element united with the adjacent endsof the rails and embodying. vertically disposed spaced resilient bars These integrally connected at their corresponding ends and flexible to permit the rails to expand and contract.

3. In a rail joint, the combination of a pair of rails arranged end to end with a mechanical and electrical uniting means comprising a fish plate made in two sections fastened to the respective rails and having overlapping portions bridging the gap between the rails, and a bonding element welded to the overlapping portion of the fish plate sections, said bonding element embodying a plurality of upright bar portions free from the fish plate sections at all points except the ends of the bars, whereby the bars can flex as the rails expand and contract.

l. In a rail joint, the combination of a pair of rails arranged end to end, fish plate sections fastened to the respective rails and having overlapping portions bridging the gap between the rails, and a bonding element in the form of a plate having its upper and lower portions integrally connected with the overlapping portions of the fish plate sections, the bonding element embodying vertical bars between the portions connected with the fish plate sections to permit the rails to expand and contract.

5. An electric bond comprising a metal plate having parallel slots therein to provide parallel pliable bars which bend with the expansion and contraction of the rails.

6. An overlapping bond for rail joints, comprising a grid-like plate having parallel bars integrally connected at their corresponding ends.

7. An electric bond for railjoints comprising a pair of fish plate sections arranged in a common plane with their inner ends obliquely overlapping, and a bonding element welded to the overlapping portions of the fish plate sections, the part of the bonding element between the welded portions consisting of parallel flexible bars free from the fish plate sections.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL J. SCHULZ.

IVitnesses O. BRADWAY, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

I gopiesot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' i i I Washington, D. 0. 

